In the development of improved anti-friction agents and lubricants, surfaces are exposed to stress techniques such Falex pin and vee-block testing to estimate the effectiveness of an anti-friction agent. The stress techniques can produce precise, reproducible abrasions, scoring, and pitting on the surface. An effective anti-friction agent or lubricant will reduce the surface damage produced by these stress techniques in a measurable way. To visualize the reduction in surface damage of the surface it is necessary to use magnifying devices such as a binocular magnifying glass, an optical microscope, or a scanning electron microscope.
In the process of marketing and selling a lubricant, it is advantageous to show visually and directly the improvements in a surface produced by the lubricant. However, it is necessary to use magnifying devices to see the 3-D features of the surface. The use of these optical devices is not feasible or practical for showing the surface to potential buyers. What is needed is an accurate, scaled-up solid physical model of the 3-D microscopic features of a surface and a practical, inexpensive method of manufacturing the scaled-up model.